Reading captain Jobi McAnuff has called for a reduction in the wages of top-flight footballers.
The 30-year-old has labelled some top-flight salaries ridiculous and believes the figures are driving the game beyond the means of ordinary fans.
He said: “I can see why a Wayne Rooney should get a big bonus because of the amount of shirts he sells but if you’re talking about £200,000 a week, that’s ridiculous.
“Surely someone will say ‘that’s enough’. We’re on the verge of getting out of control and we’re starting to lose a bit of reality. Football is getting too expensive for fans.
“Tickets for our game at Chelsea were £50. I know lots of people who couldn’t afford that.”
Stop sick chants
The Manchester United Supporters Trust have backed Alex Ferguson’s call for an end to chants mocking the Munich air crash and Hillsborough disaster.
United again emphasised manager Ferguson’s desire to end such taunting after a small number of fans sang “Always the victim” at Old Trafford on Saturday. The song highlights a perception among United fans that Liverpool refuse to accept responsibility.
A United spokesperson said: “The manager has made the club’s position very clear on this matter. It is now up to the fans to respect that.”
With United due at Anfield next Sunday, the chants are sure to heighten tensions.
Giroud puts friendships aside
Olivier Giroud will never forget Montpellier but intends to go all out to fire Arsenal to Champions League success when he returns to his old club this week.
The France striker netted 25 goals as Montpellier won the title for the first time in the club’s history. However, Giroud knows there can be no room for sentimentality when he heads back to the Stade de la Mosson.
“I spent a beautiful season there last year when we won the title.
“It will be difficult for me to play against Montpellier, because there is a lot of emotion, but I will concentrate on the pitch and on the match and I will not speak with my friends,” Giroud said.
Preziosi banned
Genoa owner Enrico Preziosi will not be able to attend matches for six months following a ban imposed on him by the courts.
The suspension is an additional punishment from the match-fixing case that saw Genoa demoted to Serie C1 in 2004-05 as his final appeal was rejected on Saturday.
“I cannot be in the stands for any sporting event for the time being,” Preziosi said.
“I have to respect the law, as I always have done so I’ll stay home to watch on television. I do consider it an exaggerated punishment...this isn’t about justice, but about common sense.”
Hundreds greet Del Piero in Sydney
Hundreds of fans greeted Alessandro Del Piero when he touched down in Australia yesterday to begin a two-year stint with Sydney FC.
The former Juventus captain, 37, received an enthusiastic reception as he landed in Sydney from a 500-strong crowd who waited for hours hoping to catch a glimpse of their idol.
“I am here not for the end of my career. I am here for the start of a new career,” Del Piero, who spent 19 years at Juventus, told the reporters before being whisked away to a waiting car.
“I play to win,” he added.
Del Piero opted for Sydney FC ahead of other clubs on a two-year contract.
Pizarro equals Bundesliga record
Bayern Munich’s Peru striker Claudio Pizarro on Saturday equalled the record for the most appearances in the Bundesliga by a foreign player. The 33-year-old came off the bench in the 89th minute of Bayern’s 3-1 win at home to Mainz to make his 336th appearance.
It puts him level with Brazil’s Ze Roberto, who played for Hamburg, Leverkusen and Bayern, and Georgia’s Levan Kobiashvili, who played for Schalke, Freiburg and H. Berlin.
Pizarro made his Bundesliga debut in 1999 with Werder Bremen before moving to Bayern for his first stint in 2001 until 2007. He joined Chelsea then returned to Werder Bremen before signing again for Bayern this summer.
Mancini hopeful on Aguero
Roberto Mancini insists Sergio Aguero has a chance of featuring against Real Madrid tomorrow despite the Argentina striker struggling to recover from an ankle problem.
Aguero sustained the injury in last month’s 3-2 win over Southampton and did not feature in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Stoke after returning to training earlier in the week.
Asked if Aguero might be in-volved against Jose Mourinho’s side, the Man. City manager said: “Sergio is one week working with the team and I think so.
“Real are one of the best teams and to play the first game away will be very tough, but at the same time it will be a fantastic game for everyone.”